Stamp-dispensing machine



June 10, 1 930. w $HwE|GER 1,762,277

STAMP DISPENS ING MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 19, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR Wally/1 5641065 67 w. F. SCHWEIGER I SI'AMP DISPENSING MACHINEOriginal Filed Nov. 19, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 Fl illlll 7 INVENTORTVLZZZmZ" Z'SATTOI'RNEY June 10, 1930.

Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM F. SGHWEIGER,OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK ASSIGNOR T MULTIPOS'I COM- PANY, INCORPORATED, OFROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK srAmr-msrnnsme MACHINEOriginal application filed November 19,1924, Serial No. 750,952,,nowPatent No. 1,625,827, dated April 26,

1927. Divided and this application filed March 19, 1927. Serial No.176,782.

This invention relates to astamp dispens ing machine of the general typeillustrated in Patent No, 1,312,669, granted August 12, 1919, to W. J.Balkwill and W. F. Schweigei, and is a division ofmy application SerialNo. 750,952, filed November 19, 1924, which has matured to Patent#1,625,827, issued April 26, 1927. v l v The principal object of theinvention is to afford a structure of few parts, simple and cheap tomanufacture, bywhich stamps issuing from a stamp ejecting machine may bemoistened ready for application to mail matter andby which themoistening meansmay be rendered inoperative when desired.

More particularly theinvention has for its purpose to provide such astructure built up of units or sections so that variousnumbers of unitsmay be used for application to machines of various capacities. Thus onlycomparatively few separate parts need be manufactured, but theyareapplicable to machines of widely varying size.

With these and other objects in view, the

invention includes the structure which will appear more clearly from thefollowing d6",

scription whenread in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, thenovel features a, being pointed out in the claims appended hereto. r

p In thedrawings: l r a Figure lpis a front elevation of the machineembodying the features of the invention in a preferred arrangement, andillusing device; r p Flgure 2 is a plan view of the same;

1 Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section through the liquidchambers of the moisten- Fig re 6 is a Similar view showing the tratingthree stamp containing and dispens ingwunits in connection with themolstencentrally through one of the stamp contain-v cover plate for themoistening roller in operative position above the roller. Referring moreparticularly to the drawlngs 1n whlch like reference numerals refer tocorresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 designates each ofthree stamp containing units or housings which are similar in allrespects to each other and are adapted for containing and dispensingstamps of three different denominations. It is understood that more orless units may be used by simply joining the various units together sideby side so that any number of different denominations of stamps may beused. In most letter mailing, single stamp containers are employed whichoperate to discharge, sever, and afiix the stamp to an envelope. withstructures which donot aflix the stamp, but permit it to be dispensedfrom a container, moistened and severed, ready for manual application toa package, such machines being particularlyintended for use Where largevolumes of parcel post mailing are required, or under other conditionswhere stamps of various denominations are frequently used. stamp feedingand severing device forms no part of the present invention, it will notbe particularly described here, but reference is made for a detaileddescription thereof to my application Serial No. 750,952, abovementioned. The general features of the de:

.vice, sufficient for an understanding of the present invention, areasfollows: v

Referringparticularly to Figur 4, nu-

meral2 designates the usual stamp, roll or strip arranged on a suitablereel and adapted to be fed out through an opening 3 in the housing; 7The strip is moved along by strip feeding instrumentalities comprisingfingers 4 which are operatively connected to the vertically movableplate 7 carrying the finger piece or ,key 8. A movable knife blade 15,also operatively connected to the plate 7, cooperates with a stationaryblade 19 to sever the strip of stamps at the desired point, all as moreparticularly described The present invention has to do As the mechanismof the in, by parent application above identified.

The Stamps are fed outwardly through the opening 3 and undera'yoke-shaped guide or deflector 25, one of which is provided for eachstamp unit. Guide 25 is supported by lugs 26 pivoted at 27 to the sidesof the moistening unit. This moistening unit consists of a reservoir 29for water or other suitable liquid, shown in cross-section in Figure 4:and in elevation in Figures 5 and 6. This reservoir carriesa roller 28partially submerged in the liquid. Instead of water, for moisteninggummed stamps, it is evident thatother suitable liquids may be employed,such as a, thin' mucilage or glue, which would be useful especially inmoistening strips of stamps or other paper which was not previouslygummed. The strip 2 as it issues from the opening 3 is guided betweenthe moistening member or roller 28 and the guide plate so as to bemoistened on itslower side by the so roller. It will be understood thatthe strip containing the desired number of stamps is grasped by thehandand applied manually to the mail matter after having been moistenedby passage over the roller.

25 At times it may be desirable todisp'ense one or more stamps withoutmoistening them, and to accomplish this, means are provided forselectively covering the moistening roller to prevent its contactingwith the gummed portionv of the stamp. This may be effected by utilizinga shield or cover such as the plate 35, Figures 5 and 6,which is pivotedat 36 to thesupporting member 37, which latter is pivoted at 38 to thebody of the moistening device. The spring 39 is coiled one or more timesabout the pivot 38, one end of the spring being engaged by the wall ofthe reservoir, and the other'end pressing against the member 37 as isclearly shown in Figure 6..

This spring tends to turn the member 37 in a counter-clockwisedirection, keeping it pressed against the front Wall of the liquidreservoir. 7 Normally, the plate 35 is in the position shown in Figure5. When it is desired to move the plate to effective position to preventthe moistening of stamps, the supporting member 37 is pulled forward ina clockwise direction, the plate 35 is swung around and the free edgethereof is inserted at between the roller 28 and the guide 25, and thesupport 37 is then returned to its normal position by the spring 39,thus forcing the plate 35 in between the roller 28 and the guide 25 tothe position shown in Figure 6. As will appear clearly from this figure,the strip of stamps 2 now contacts on its lower sidewith the plate 35instead of With the roller 28 and therefore it is not moistened but maybe ejected in a dry condition. It will be seen 6 that the shield 35 haswhat may be termed a floating connection to the body of the device. I

. The devices so far described comprise one unit of the machine. Itshould be understood .35 that any desired number of units are'placed:

side by side, three being shown, for example in Figures 1 and 2. Eachunit consists of a stamp issuing and severing device, together with itsindividual reservoir 29, each reservoir having its moistening-preventingdevice 35-37, etc.

Preferably the variousreservoir units 29 are supplied with water orother suitable liquid from a common source, although it is evident thatthe reservoirsv could be entirely separate if desired and each one couldbe filled with liquid individually. The common supply means is bestshown in Figure 3, from which it will be'noted that each reservoir 29has a threaded opening'in each end thereof, and nipples 30 are threadedthrough the openings of-adjacent reservoirs to connect the same in themanner shown in Figure 3. Washers 41 may be interposed between thereservoirs-if desired. To one side ofthe series of reservoirs isasupplyunit 31, connected to the" adjacent reservoir 29by a similarnipple 30. This supply unit 31 may be kept full of Water in any suitablemanner, such for instance as an inverted container or bottle 32 placedin the neck 33. It will be. understood that by this means the chamber 31is kept filled with liquid, which runs through the nipple 30 into theadj acent-reservoir 29, keeping :it filled, and from this reservoirthrough the next nipple into the next reservoir and so on to the lastreservoir. The threaded hole in the last reservoir is kept closed bythreading thereinto a screw 40 although a plug or cork or any othermeans could be used. 3

I have now disclosed a device built up of separate units which may beassembled easily and quickly and may be built of any desired capacity.It will be understood that afactory making these devices need notconstruct separate moistening mechanisms for machines of differentcapacity but need build only the units 29 and connecting nipples 30 andthe supply units 31. 32, etc. With these parts, together with suitablescrews, washers, etc., a moistening unit may be constructed forcooperation with a stamp issuing machine of any desired size, simply byadding as many reservoirs'29 as desired to the supply unit 31'. Vhen amachine has once been built, if it is desired to reduce the capacitythereof it is obvious that one or more of the stamp units 1 may beremoved and the corresponding reservoir units'29 may also be takenaway'in a very short time, and the openingin the last unit may beplugged. up with the screw 40;

While I have disclosed the invention with reference to a particularembodiment thereof, it should be understood that it is not confined tothe details set forth, but this application-is intended to cover anychanges or modifications coming within the intentof the improvementsor'the scope of the. following claims. V

Iclaim: a l. The combination of a plurality of units for moisteningstamps of different denominations, means for connecting adjacent unitscomprising a tubular member secured in the walls of adjacent units toestablish communication between them andmamtaln a common liquid leveltherein, a liquid supply unit, and meansfor maintaining said commonliquid level, inthe liquid supply unit. p n a 2. The combinationof aplurality of units a for moistening stampsof ditferent denominations,means for connecting adjacent units comprising a tubular member securedin the Walls of adj acentunits to establish communication between themand maintaln a common liquid level therein, a liquid supply unitdetachably secured to one of said moistening units, and means formaintaining said common liquid level in the liquid supply unit.

a 8. A stamp moistening unit comprising a reservoir having openings inopposite ends thereof arranged in the same horizontal thereof,a liquidsupply unit having an open 111g in one side thereot, a nipple connectingthe opening in said supply unit with one of the openings in one of saidmoistening reservoirs, nipples connecting adjacent moistening reservoirsto each other, and a plug secured in one of the openings of the lastmoistening reservoir. i

5. The combination with a stamp moistening device comprising amoisteuing element adapted normally to 'contactwith a stamp, of a shieldarranged tobe interposed between said stamp and said element, whereby astamp may be passed through said device with out contacting with saidelement.

a (iln a stamp moisteningdevice comprising a moistening element adaptednormally to contact with a stamp, a shield arranged to bemterposedbetween said stamp and said element, said shield beingpivotally connected to a supportingmember, and said supporting memberbeing pivotally connectedto a fixedpart of said device. I i In witnesswhereof, I have hereunto signed my name. a a u 1 WILLIAM F SCHWEIGER.

